Firing Up the Talent Engines at One of the World’s Largest Airlines
BY Wanly Chen May 22, 2024When the pandemic hit, businesses and offices began to shut down operations for a rare moment of stagnancy. The travel industry especially took a drastic hit: flights were near-empty as people stayed home. For one airline, however, the pause was the optimal time to expand. In the first few years of the pandemic, United Airlines hired over 30,000 employees, a decision that differed from many other industries at that time. “In the months of the pandemic, we pre-hired in a couple of areas, pilots in particular, because of the long training timelines,” Kate Gebo, executive vice president of human resources and labor relations at United Airlines, said in a fireside chat at From Day One’s Chicago conference. “That was not something that we had historically ever done, but in the first few years of the pandemic, we hired 15,000 people each year for two years.”The choice to increase hiring during the pandemic was ultimately the right move, Gebo says. Revenge travel led to high post-pandemic flight demands and with a shortage of pilots on the horizon, airlines needed to take advantage of every moment to prepare, Gebo told session moderator Stefan Holt, an anchor at NBC5 News. Kate Gebo, Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations at United Airlines, was interviewed in the fireside chat She reflected on how United Airlines stayed ahead of the game during the pandemic and the strategies she takes to ensure United stays in front. “When we looked at the pandemic, we asked ourselves, ‘Are we going to stay the same or are we going to take this as an opportunity and grow?’” Gebo said. “We didn’t want to come out where we came in, we wanted to jump ahead.”Fueled by early retirement and an aging pilot population, analysts predict the global aviation industry will be short by 80,000 pilots by 2032. The shortage is a dire situation for airlines as they look to expand. At United, taking learning opportunities in-house became a valuable resource for talent and employees.“We don't want to just rely on whatever is out there, so we bought our own flight school, United Aviate Academy, in Goodyear, Arizona,” Gebo said. “We wanted to invest and provide world-class training, so you not only learn all the technical issues with flying but also understand the leadership and the culture at United.” Being a major airline with its own in-house flight school has its perks. The school builds a pipeline of talent for the airline and increases interest in the aviation industry, Gebo says.“Many other folks began to believe that they could get into aviation,” Gebo said. “Even though there's a little bit of a struggle because the qualifications and the training are tough, there’s a sense of accomplishment that we’re building here at Aviate Academy.”For United’s pilots and crew members, learning is still readily accessible to the community through designated training centers, Gebo says. “Our pilots have to go back to the training center every six months to up their qualifications or anytime they change aircraft types so during the pandemic, we decided to invest in a flight training center in Denver for our pilots,” Gebo said. “We can't just decide to hire a flight attendant and have them show up the next day, so we also invested in an in-flight training center in Houston for our flight attendants.”With heightened scrutiny surrounding Boeing planes, production of the planes is taking longer, affecting airline companies as they wait for delivery of aircrafts. To balance the now-abundance of pilots, United has encouraged their pilots to take time off, an announcement that caused some backlash. But unlike other industries, laying off employees isn’t a viable option, Gebo says. “Even though Boeing can't deliver an aircraft for us or push delivery of an aircraft, we have already hired those pilots six or nine months ago to make sure we were ready for the original schedule,” Gebo said. “We are oversubscribed on pilots right now and the delay in deliveries is so impactful to us because we are carrying those extra costs.”Keeping crew members on board is worth it in the long run, Gebo says, reflecting on the company’s choice to hire more during the pandemic. “Turning the talent engine off is dangerous to your business because once you shut it down, it’s so hard getting the momentum back up,” Gebo said. “In the dark days when there were only 10,000 passengers, the easy answer would have been to shut it all down, but thank goodness we absolutely didn't.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Developing Crucial Competencies Among Managers to Enhance Inclusion
BY Wanly Chen May 21, 2024To improve workplaces, leaders need to reevaluate how they are growing their managers and provide the proper support. In a From Day One webinar, Lydia Dishman, senior editor of growth and engagement at Fast Company, spoke with leaders about the strategies they’re taking to address skills gaps in their companies, especially those related to boosting workplace inclusion.Self-aware leaders display a higher level of confidence and empathy, resulting in stronger teams and effective leadership. Yet despite most leaders believing that they exhibit self-awareness, research shows only 10-15% of leaders are self-aware.The disparity comes from the challenge of displaying vulnerability, Khalil Smith, vice president of inclusion, diversity, and engagement at Akamai Technologies, says.“We need to be given at least an opportunity to have some of that autonomy to say, “I think that I can be better here or here,” Smith said. “It’s not a bad thing to say, ‘I do struggle with giving difficult feedback and that's not something that’s going to hold me back.’ This is different from being externally assessed because it builds the self-awareness that we need,” Smith said.By showing empathy for others, leaders can cultivate a safe work environment for others to grow, which can be a win-win situation for companies and employees. Singleton Beato, global executive vice president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at media group, McCann Worldgroup, says empathetic leaders can reap the benefits of a stronger team.Amanda Grow of ETU, Singleton Beato of McCann Worldgroup, Diana Navas-Rosette of Microsoft, and Khalil Smith of Akamai Technologies spoke in a panel moderated by Lydia Dishman of Fast Company (photo by From Day One)“Being self-aware allows one to understand how to present constructive and corrective feedback in a way that isn’t demeaning to someone,” Beato said. “Doing so safely helps employees to feel that they have the support of the manager and helps them to be aware of not only whatever the correction needs to be but also to feel empowered to make that correction.”Leaning on Newer Learning MethodsWhen compared to traditional learning methods, researchers found immersive learning like VR training to yield better results and also positively impact employees’ performance. Amanda Grow, director of customer success at learning company, ETU, says learning simulations can also provide opportunities for employees to learn skills that may be difficult to learn in traditional settings.“One of the key elements in learning simulations is teaching people how to work through situations that they don't feel comfortable in,” Grow said. “Simulations have the ability to bring some of that emotion to life and make you feel uncomfortable or make you feel anxious.”During these simulations, employees dealing with challenging emotions have an opportunity to self-reflect on their emotions in a safe space, Grow says. “We want to teach people how to reflect and understand their internal processes,” Grow said. “That's going to be valuable if we want employees to improve their self-awareness.”Research found employees who have personal development opportunities are more engaged and have higher retention rates, showing how learning can play a large role in how employees perceive their work and growth.Whether it’s through traditional learning modules or providing a safe environment for employees to learn, leaders play an instrumental role in bridging the gaps. Diana Navas-Rosette, general manager of global diversity and inclusion solutions, communities, and activation at Microsoft, says that Microsoft is leaning on newer technology to offer personalized learning opportunities.“Simulations stand out as probably one of the most innovative solutions that we have in our portfolio right now. They are immersive and allow learners to practice the skills realistically and safely,” Navas-Rosette said. “A learner navigates through a simulation and then gets a report at the end that tells them what they did well and where they have areas of opportunities for them to grow. Employees can always come back and practice if they want to, allowing it to be a continuous relationship with a solution for them to build that skill set.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Balancing Tradition and Transformation While Hiring Thousands of New Workers
BY Wanly Chen May 10, 2024Amtrak is seeing a new era of rail travel.With billions of dollars in new investments, the company has added over eight thousand employees in the past two years alone, with an expected four thousand additional workers for the rest of 2024.The rapid growth leads to an unexpected characteristic for the company: by the end of 2024, 50% of employees will have been there for less than three years.The new wave of workers ushered in requires a fresh perspective in managing, says Robert Grasty, Amtrak’s executive vice president and chief human resource officer. At From Day One’s Washington, D.C. event, Grasty spoke with moderator and Washington Post reporter, Lori Aratani, to discuss how he’s leading the new generation of employees in this age of railroad travel.Presenting Opportunity at RecruitingGrasty never thought he’d enter the transportation industry, let alone lead a major train company. The attraction, however, was the promise of an impactful career.“There’s a lot I didn't know about trains so it was an organization that I didn’t think I would ever go and work for,” Grasty said. “But when I think about the impact we’re having across the U.S., to make sure we are providing transportation and connecting with more people in more places, I became very excited.”The transportation industry can seem silo for some job seekers, but a company like Amtrak also leans on workers who can offer transferable skills across various industries. The trick to recruiting top candidates is identifying those skills needed at the right time, Grasty says.Robert Grasty, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer of Amtrak spoke about the growth of the company“If you think about what we do, we bring a lot of different types of talent into the organization, from engineering to project managers,” he said. “We compete against companies like Google and Amazon for the same talent they’re getting from the IT perspective to all of the functional, corporate support areas.”At Amtrak, employee referrals played a large role in attracting talent to the space of transportation. Programs that reward employees for bringing talent through the door are typically more successful, with one case showing employee referrals correlated to a 30% hiring rate compared to the 7% average from alternative sources.“Through our strong referral program, we have employees who can speak on the different initiatives that have added value, not only to the railroad space but also to where we want to be and where we need to go in the future,” Grasty said.Leveraging Data to Make ChangeWhen Grasty first arrived at Amtrak, he realized the company was not utilizing the results from employee surveys to the best of its abilities.“What I noticed about employee surveys was that all the data that was in those reports was what we did and what was coming out of it never changed. The same thing we saw years ago is the same thing we’re seeing today,” Grasty said.When used correctly, data from employee surveys can tell a compelling story about workers’ experiences and can push leaders in the right direction of change. Grasty knew he needed to change Amtrak’s approach to employee surveys and leverage the data collected from the surveys to make impactful change.“We took the data that we got from all the feedback and created a strategy that aligns to what our employees are saying,” Grasty said. “We didn’t want the strategy to just be the strategy, we wanted it to connect to the people who do it every day out there on the front line.”The shift in utilizing data has been beneficial to Grasty and his team, who have seen improvement in employee engagement and synergy amongst different parts of the company.“Everyone understands the organization, where it’s going, and how we all connect and impact our company. So, for us, utilizing our data in the proper way is a big success for Amtrak,” Grasty said.Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Revolutionizing Mental Health in the Workplace: The Power of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies
BY Wanly Chen April 17, 2024With heightened isolation during the pandemic, mental health conditions like anxiety and depression saw an increase, leading to a surge in mental health care spending and usage. Today, ninety percent of the public state they believe there is a mental health crisis in the U.S., showing the continual relevance and demand for mental health care.Talk therapy or medications like antidepressants are commonly used in treating mental health conditions but studies have shown these treatments may not work for everybody. For example, in one study, researchers found antidepressants only worked for 15% of the participants.Sherry Rais, CEO and co-founder of Enthea is working to change the healthcare industry and revolutionize effective treatment. Enthea is currently the sole healthcare partner offering psychedelic healthcare as a workplace benefit and recently won the 2023 Global Recognition Award for being a transformative pioneer in the medical field.For Rais, Enthea is only the beginning of a well-needed change to the mental health care space. In a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s April virtual conference, Rais spoke about the promising results Enthea has seen and how psychedelic healthcare can be a win for both employers and employees.Gaps in Traditional Mental Health Care TreatmentsIneffective treatments, dangerous withdrawal symptoms, and relapses are all reasons for the need for change in traditional mental health care treatments, Rais says.“20-60% of people with a significant mental health condition are actually treatment resistant, so anything that we have to offer them from traditional methods, to talk therapy and antidepressants, won’t work on them,” Rais said.The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates untreated mental illness can cost up to $300 billion annually, an expensive cost for employers, and can result in lost productivity, absenteeism, and turnovers.Sherry Rais of Enthea led the virtual thought leadership spotlight“Employers have improved their mental health offerings in the U.S., yet employees still say that they’re not getting the mental health care they need. There is this disconnect,” Rais said. “It’s like a broken system, we’re spending more but people are not getting better. This is where ketamine and psychedelic therapy can play a huge role for these treatment-resistant populations as they work differently.”Psychedelic therapy has been shown to bring promising results. A single dose of a psychedelic drug can have a long-lasting impact on mental health disorders like depression and PTSD. Additionally, people who undergo psychedelic therapy can see results in as little as one session.“We have a lot of people in the construction industry who deal with high rates of suicide, and a psychedelic drug like ketamine is one of the only substances that reduces suicidal ideation quickly,” Rais said. “A drug like ketamine is magical because it starts working in as little as six hours.”The Challenges to Destigmatize Psychedelic TherapyMaking psychedelic therapy more accessible requires a change in its reputation.Since the 1960s, ketamine has been a drug in clinical practices, proving valuable in the anesthesiology and critical care medicine fields. However, with the increase in recreational use in the 1980s, ketamine quickly became known as a party drug, dubbed “Vitamin K” or “Special K.”But it’s not just ketamine with the bad reputation: MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms, are both drugs used recreationally and have been outspokenly used by celebrities.These recreational uses are far different than psychedelic therapy, Rais says.“When we are talking about psychedelic-assisted therapy, it is the use of a high dose psychedelic in a clinically supervised setting with a trained therapist who administers the psychedelic and then does therapy with you while you are in this altered state where your brain has an increased neuroplasticity,” Rais said.To shift people’s views on psychedelic healthcare, Rais advises focusing on the benefits of these drugs. “Focus on patient outcomes and data because when administered in a clinical setting, we’re seeing results like people no longer needing to be on antidepressants after just a few sessions and that goes beyond any kind of recreational intent.”With key approvals from the FDA, psychedelic therapy is well on its way to becoming a changing force in the mental health care field, Rais says.“In the future, I hope that the stigma that’s still associated with psychedelics is removed, and people can talk freely and openly about psychedelic-assisted therapy,” Rais said. “I hope that it will be a basic mental health treatment that we will all have access to.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Enthea, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
The Gender Penalty: Addressing Workplace Inequity
BY Wanly Chen April 08, 2024Studies show that despite recent movements for equal pay, no significant gender pay gap has been made in the last two decades. Women are still earning less than men, with some variance as high as 22%.But the discrimination extends far beyond just the pay gap: from childbirth to menopause, women are also discriminated against for their life choices and in some cases, life stages, with 42% of working women reporting facing gender discrimination at their workplace.In a From Day One webinar, Lydia Dishman, senior editor of growth and engagement at Fast Company, moderated a discussion among women in roles of leadership on how to achieve equality in the workplace.Studies show that women are 41% more likely to experience toxic workplace culture than men, underlining the need for a culture revamp in companies.According to recent research, one in three working parents stated they lacked access to a reliable workplace lactation location. The disparity shows that offering solutions is far more than checking off boxes, Teresa Hopke, CEO of Talking Talent said.“Having a pumping room is a checkbox. So even if we check the box and we get the right rooms and accommodations for people, that’s not going to move the needle in the way that we need to in terms of the systemic change that needs to take place,” Hopke said.For change, both workers and leaders need to be actively working to create the shift that they need, Hopke says.Speakers from Talking Talent and KPMG joined moderated Lydia Dishman in a discussion about the role of gender in the workplace (photo by From Day One)“There is some hard work that organizations need to do to create the right culture with the right mindsets, behaviors, conditions, and structures that will support women as they advance through their careers,” Hopke said. “There is also work that women need to do to articulate their needs and not suffer in silence when the load gets too hard.”When asked about allyship, seventy-seven percent of white employees consider themselves allies to women of color. However, far fewer replied to actively participating in allyship, with only 39 percent stating they confront discrimination when they see it, and 21 percent stating they advocate for new opportunities for women of color.“If you are not taking any of those ally actions regularly, you’re not moving things forward in a positive way,” Marcee Harris Schwartz, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at KPMG, said. “We have to think about how we activate allyship whether that’s taking someone under your wing who comes from a different background or experiences so that it has an impact.”When asked about biases at work, 83% of employees stated that the biases they experienced were subtle and indirect. In one work case, Renu Sachdeva, head of client solutions at Talking Talent, found this to be true.“We asked leaders to pick people to actively sponsor who belonged to these identity groups. And when the results came back in, we found a majority of them had selected white women, the next most selected group was men of color, and the least selected group was women of color,” Sachdeva said.The findings weren’t surprising, Sachdeva says. Research has found that white people demonstrate a clear bias for other white people, affecting workplace processes from hiring to promotion. Challenging biases is key to moving allyship in the right direction, Sachdeva said.“If you’re talking about the majority, corporate America is usually white men in most organizations, so the highest level of comfort tends to be with white women because there’s a relational aspect to it,” Sachdeva said. “But with intentionality, we need to consciously choose to connect with [different] people to mentor, sponsor or be an ally to because that’s usually the group that gets the most overlooked and left behind.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Talking Talent, for sponsoring this webinar.Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
How Companies Can Make Mental Health Support a Priority
BY Wanly Chen April 01, 2024When motorcycle company Harley Davidson wanted to add mental health services to their employee benefits, Gyre Renwick, chief operating officer at mental health company, Modern Health, knew his approach needed to be different. Known to be a brand of daredevils and rebels, Renwick decided to stray away from using words like therapist and mental health when approaching Harley Davidson’s employees.“We had an intention to not talk about seeing a therapist or a mental health provider because it was going to alienate a population,” Renwick said. “What we did instead was focus on the experience of every person who has fallen off the bike for the first time and what it is like to get back on the motorcycle at that next point.”Choosing to focus on that specific experience struck a chord with the employees, Renwick says. “All we were talking about is what it is like to get back on your bike again [after a fall] but it led to a discussion of PTSD, anxiety, and a lot of traumas,” Renwick said. “For so many folks, that was their first ever interaction with a mental health provider.”One in five adults in the U.S. were affected by mental illness in 2021, representing nearly 57.8 million people. However, stigma against mental illness and lack of access can be key reasons why people refrain from seeking the help they need.In From Day One’s live Silicon Valley event, Renwick and other leaders join Rachael Myrow, senior editor at Silicon Valley News Desk, KQED, in a discussion on how companies can uphold their commitment to their employee’s mental health.Care at the Company’s CenterWhen Elon Musk took over Twitter, now formerly known as X, he wanted employees to commit to his new leadership by being “extremely hardcore” and working “long hours at high intensity.”Musk’s mentality drew criticism from other leaders as it diminishes the need for a healthy work-life balance. Supriya Bahri, vice president of global total rewards at online gaming company Roblox, emphasizes the need to lead a company with care.The group of leaders discussed the topic "Does Your Company Genuinely Care About Well-Being? How to Show It"“I completely disagree with the strategy that Elon Musk is taking. It is super important for people to be happy, safe, confident because that is when they are going to be creative and give their best,” Bahri said. “At Roblox, one of our core values is leading the care and respect that is instituted in everything we do. We need to remember that life is a marathon, not a sprint.”Increasing Accessibility and AffordabilityWith the pandemic came the drastic boom of Telehealth, with use cases rising from 15.4% in 2019 to 86.5% in 2021. Telehealth’s rise gave employees more flexibility to seek care where they wanted and how they wanted, signaling a change to the traditional healthcare system.For Heather Ostrowski, global director of benefits at technology company Keysight Technologies, companies need to provide employees with mental health services that are accessible to the different generations of employees.“Different generations want to access mental health differently. Some may want the apps, in-person, or video calls,” Ostrowski said. “When you dig into the different generations, you can see that there are different solutions and problems to solve for each of them and it’s about identifying the needs of the different generations at that time and how you can best support them.”Healthcare is also no stranger to AI, with many healthcare providers embracing its capabilities from data aggregation to providing health screenings. Global artificial intelligence in the healthcare market was valued at USD 16.3 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 173.55 billion by 2029.Kristin Wood, PhD, head of strategic initiatives at health insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of California, is excited by the new age of AI technology in healthcare.“So, when it comes to AI or digital services, there’s a lot of opportunity available to folks to get better access to care,” Wood said. “I'm intrigued by what AI will do from a mental health perspective so that more folks have the opportunity to access that care affordably.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Crafting Employee Journeys with Career Growth in Mind
BY Wanly Chen March 27, 2024Today, employees crave transparent career growth in their organizations, with an overwhelming 73% stating that they want visibility about these opportunities. In contrast, 61% of employees are more likely to leave their jobs if there is no visibility, showing how career growth can have a direct impact on employee retention and engagement.For Hannah Lucille, vice president of people and culture at Warner Bros. Discovery, transparency on career growth needs to begin even before an employee enters the company.“Career expectations start as early as when recruiters reach out to candidates. Recruiters need to understand what these candidates’ career ambitions are and make sure that we’re feeding that back into all the conversations,” Lucille said.At From Day One’s Seattle conference, Lucille and other leaders joined From Day One’s co-founder Steve Koepp in a discussion on career growth, highlighting how leaders can effectively support employees in finding their next steps.Leaning into Mentorship, Networking, SponsorshipCareer growth often relates to tangible goals like promotions or upskilling. However, career growth is hard to exist without the invisible parts of career development, said Dave Wilkin, founder of Ten Thousand Coffees.85% of jobs are filled by networking, underlining the relationship of strong connections with future job opportunities. “Your network is your net worth. If we can create networks, we create more opportunities and more opportunity lattices,” Wilkin said.But knowing someone isn’t enough to get someone their next job or career movement, Wilkin said.“Competency around how to turn networks into impact is non-existent. To make opportunity happen, you need to create a conversation that turns connections into impact,” Wilkin said. “We want to make sure that when we’re creating conversation pathways, we’re being declarative on whether that relationship is a sponsorship, connection, or an onboarding buddy to help new hires accelerate.”The panelists spoke to the topic "How Career Growth Can Be a Part of Employee Experience from the Beginning" Relationships like mentorships and sponsorships can be beneficial to employees in navigating career growth and opportunities. In a study on mentorship, researchers found that while 76% of employees believe mentorship is important, only 36% had a mentor.To Ambra Benjamin, vice president of tech recruiting and operations at software company Datadog, debunking some common perceptions about mentorships can help people find those crucial relationships.“People look at mentorship and think they have to find a senior employee who’s at a place in their career that they’re not,” Benjamin said. “But my first and best mentor at Facebook was significantly more junior than me. He was having success, and I wasn’t, and I asked him to mentor me. Mentorship can just be helping you with a certain skill or an area where you’re not proficient and having someone more proficient than you be in that role.”Building a Safe Culture to Talk About Career GrowthLeaders who hold frequent check-ins with their employees on career growth opportunities can find themselves reaping the benefits. In one study, researchers found that 82% of employees who have career conversations with their manager more than once a month were highly engaged at work compared to 53% of those who only talk about their career once a year or less.Having conversations is only a part of the equation, Lucille says. To effectively support employees, leaders need to allow employees to discuss their career goals in a safe environment.“Verbalizing career growth sometimes can be pretty intimidating because people fear the repercussions of those conversations, thinking their managers won’t be as invested anymore or they won’t give them the top reward because they know they are looking for other opportunities,” Lucille said. “But it's important to build it into the culture with hiring managers to ask about career goals and make it a two-way conversation so that there's no surprises. We’re far more likely to be able to co-create another opportunity for employees that way.”For the first time five generations are in the workforce, signaling a change to traditional mindsets to career growth and the approach to conversations about career growth. To Roz Francuz-Harris, vice president of talent acquisition for real estate marketplace Zillow, leaders need to adapt their strategies accordingly.“One person’s question about those next steps is not the same with a different generational person but it doesn’t mean that their value is any less; it just means we all want the same things but ask those things are different,” Francuz-Harris said. “As HR professionals, we have to build a program for hiring managers to run this type of process to seek out career growth for their employees, and then help them navigate which avenues to find it.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
The Keys to Employee Engagement in Today’s Workplace
BY Wanly Chen March 26, 2024A positive company culture can power strong engagement with employees, with business yielding benefits like higher productivity and profitability. As senior director of talent management and organizational effectiveness at The Home Depot, Joe Garcia knew the secret to strong employee engagement came with finding the right employees first.“When we start to go deep into trying to understand what drives engagement, we often think about the environment, the effectiveness of leaders, and the work-life balance,” Garcia said. “But we don't always spend a ton of time thinking if we are selecting folks that are likely to be a good fit for the role and the culture of the company.”With approximately 475,000 associates, Garcia discovered his high-performing associates had distinguishable qualities such as having a high desire to help others and openness to learning.“That propensity and desire to learn was a big predictor of success so we built assessments and structured interview guides with questions that are attempting to measure not only your experience but also your culture fit with clear anchors,” said Garcia.At From Day One’s March virtual conference, Garcia and a panel of other leaders joined Lydia Dishman, senior editor of growth and engagement at Fast Company, in a discussion on how to effectively drive employee engagement in today’s workplace.Providing Employees with Learning OpportunitiesWith a remote workforce, vice president of human resources and recruiting at Allied Universal Security Services, Kimberly Ardo-Eisenbeis knew she would have to find creative strategies to engage her employees.After trial-and-error of different strategies, Ardo-Eisenbeis found offering small micro-learning opportunities was the sweet spot for her employees.“We have an amazing talent and development team that puts together these small micro-learnings that are five to ten minutes long. These nuggets are meaningful and can help engage our employees because these are not just checking-the-box learning, but information that somebody can then act on,” Ardo-Eisenbeis said.For Ardo-Eisenbeis, the key was to value the quality of engagement over quantity. “Rather than sitting someone in a classroom or having virtual learnings where there’s not much appetite, we learned that these small micro-learnings can still fill the bucket,” Ardo-Eisenbeis said. “When it comes to learning, it’s not always about quantity but about the quality and the intention, and what somebody can do with that information.”The group of leaders spoke on a panel during From Day One's March virtual conference about energizing workers (photo by From Day One)Learning and development can also be powerful drivers in employee engagement, with 80% of employees reporting that learning and development opportunities would help them feel more engaged at work.Wielding learning as a form of engagement can also help benefit other areas of the business, Shawn Overcast, chief insights officer of Explorance said.“Learning matters as a driver of engagement and career development. Not only does learning aim to help us build skills and help to inform somebody's career development, but it also allows us to listen,” Overcast said. “As we formally bring people together and ask them questions about their experience, [learning] acts as a listening hub and an opportunity to network which can support functional collaboration, relationship building, and further build trust and psychological safety in the organization.”Charting Different Career PathsThe shift from traditional linear career paths to non-linear paths is increasingly more common, with 52% of U.S. workers having considered a job change, and as many as 44% having actual plans to make the change last year. The finding is in line with what commercial real estate company, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, currently is seeing.“We lean into internal mobility and allow people to move from one function to an entirely different one. So, we’ve seen big bold moves, like people moving from finance to IT or people moving from marketing to sales,” Isobel Lincoln, senior vice president of human resources, said.Allowing workers to explore different career paths can prove beneficial to companies as it allows employees to continue to grow and learn new skill sets while remaining at a single organization. Workers who have moved internally have a 64% chance of remaining with an organization after three years, according to LinkedIn data. In contrast, only 45% of employees who haven’t moved internally have a smaller likelihood of staying with the company after three years.Lincoln already sees the benefits of internal mobility in her company. “More than half of my HR team have come from other parts of the business so it's working for us because we get to retain those employees for much longer.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
How DEI Must Evolve: Highlighting the Challenges and Opportunities
BY Wanly Chen March 05, 2024In the past year, big corporations like Target and Bud Light both faced backlash for their DEI initiatives, and states like Texas and Florida have even implemented bans to curb the expansion of DEI in higher education. DEI is facing a tough challenge in the nation.The pushback isn’t a surprise to Y-Vonne Hutchinson, CEO of diversity and inclusion product and services firm, ReadySet.“We’re seeing backsliding in those areas of DEI but I always tell people not to be surprised when that happens,” said Hutchinson. “We tend to think of progress as a linear advancement when in reality, it’s more of a push-pull and we have to be prepared for that resistance.”In a conversation with From Day One’s co-founder Steve Koepp, Hutchinson discussed the current challenges and opportunities in DEI, and how companies can continue to progress.Relabeling DEI While Remembering the Core ValuesDespite recent backlash, company leaders are still committed to DEI initiatives. Some leaders have audited their initiatives to ensure no legal risks, while others have rebranded and continued their initiatives more discreetly. When rebranding DEI initiatives, Hutchinson reminds company leaders to stay focused on the core of the problem.“Relabeling is helpful but I think that we have to be careful and we have to still call things what they are,” Hutchinson said. “Language like belonging, inclusion, accessibility is great but I get nervous when companies steer clear of naming some of the very foundational issues that they’re trying to solve because it makes it harder for them to do so. For example, racism still exists but if you rename racism then you have to figure out how to solve those problems without creating a perception that you’re being unfair to other groups.”Utilizing DEI as a Tool to Problem SolveIn the workplace, being diverse, equitable, and inclusive were long problems before the recent attention DEI had received. Hutchinson points to meritocracy as a key example of the clash of diversity and equitability.Y-Vonne Hutchinson of ReadySet was interviewed in the thought leadership spotlight (photo by From Day One)“Meritocracy has never existed when it comes to working in a company. Most people come into organizations through things like referrals and most people’s networks are homogenous,” Hutchinson said. “Even if we were to strip away traditional DEI programs, we would not revert to a meritocracy. Instead, we would be deeply entrenched in those hiring problems that were already there and have fewer tools to solve them.”To be effective in DEI efforts, leaders need to first identify the problem they want to solve, Hutchinson says. “DEI is a toolkit meant to address specific, deeply entrenched problems, and it's evolving,” Hutchinson said. “When we think about the future of DEI, focus on the problem first and specifically name some of these issues that organizations are going to have to deal with, no matter what happens in the DEI space.”Acknowledging Long-Term Effects of the Pandemic on the WorkforceThe pandemic did more than drastically change the style of working; it also left lingering effects that directly impacted workers’ health.In a study on workers’ claims and the impact of Long Covid, researchers found nearly 18% of claimants with long Covid were unable to return to work for over one year, with most claimants under 60 years of age.“We’re seeing people who are sick more often, more instances of chronic illness, more instances of disability,” Hutchinson said. “Traditionally, our tools that were relying on our old school tools, such as sick days, but over time it is not going to serve us. We’re gonna see more labor shortages, more attrition, lower productivity and I think that’s going to have a real impact on our bottom lines.”Leaders must be able to recognize the impact long Covid has on their workforce and be willing to take measures to protect and include those that are directly affected, Hutchinson says.“The best thing that companies can do now is critically think about accessibility and disability inclusion, and how they're going to make those accommodations for their workforce.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, ReadySet, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Taking the Long View Toward Progress in Workplace Diversity
BY Wanly Chen February 29, 2024“Things get hard when they’re working, but that doesn’t mean we let up,” said Loren Hudson, senior vice president and chief diversity officer of Comcast Cable. “Right now is our time to remain committed to supporting our teammates and communities because we have all learned that DEI is a key part of how we win talent, business space, and how we make an impact in the communities where we live and work.” DEI initiatives across the country are being politically scrutinized, resulting in bans and rollbacks in colleges and companies. Yet in the midst of it all, Hudson remains steadfast in her stance in supporting DEI.In a fireside chat at From Day One’s February virtual conference, with Sharon Epperson, senior personal finance correspondent at CNBC, NBCUniversal, Hudson discussed the current world of DEI and how companies can maintain their progress in driving change.Placing DEI at the CoreA CNBC survey found that nearly 80% of survey respondents wanted to work for a company that valued DEI issues, showing the importance of DEI to employees and job seekers alike.DEI initiatives extend far beyond just the workplace, Hudson said. “[DEI] touches so many aspects of our lives, from personal to professional, to our business to our community,” Hudson said. “At the heart of what is important, DEI practices, initiatives, mindset and focus are good for the business, people leadership, employee experience, and community activism.”Leaders can often assess the success of DEI initiatives and programs against business value and employee experience, Hudson says. However, leaders who lead DEI initiatives with intentionality can be more fruitful in the long term.“When I look at businesses who are focusing intentionally on this space, their most senior leaders have said, “This is important to us as leaders, as a business and as a community partner,” Hudson said. “Many organizations that can say that they were successful in this space are because it connects back to what the organization stands for.”Driving Equity Beyond the WorkplaceDuring the pandemic, Hudson realized there was a sudden need for internet access by community members who traditionally did not have regular access.Sharon Epperson, right, interviewed Loren Hudson, left, at From Day One's February virtual conference on the topic of Getting to the Next Stage of Diversity and Belonging (photo by From Day One)As a leader of a telecommunications company, Hudson knew her role was more than just driving change and equity in the workplace, it also meant driving change in the communities they served.By partnering with community organizations, Hudson and her team at Comcast were able to provide free Wi-Fi centers and resources for the communities. “We provided broadband while other partners provided the site and lunch or breakfast,” Hudson said.The success of these sites wouldn’t have come together if community members hadn’t raised their concerns, Hudson says.“Without partners telling us what the people are whispering or loudly saying, we wouldn't necessarily know all of the things we may know,” Hudson said. “So, talking to partners who are closest to the community members is key because they provide us perspective and provide insights to what their community or their members are saying.”Embracing Outside PerspectivesBy encouraging a growth mindset for employees, leaders can help cultivate a more inclusive work environment. This can aid the progress of DEI as team members are more committed to learning and growing. To help foster a growth mindset in teams, Hudson recommends actively looking for outside perspectives.“I bring other CEOs and their teams in, and we share what we’re doing, what keeps us up at night, and what’s going well. We can play off each other and do joint things to have greater impact, and that’s important across whatever line of business we’re doing,” Hudson said. “It’s creating this space for new fresh perspectives by inviting people from different backgrounds to come in and share those perspectives. That’s how we learn and grow and innovate.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Fostering Workplace Well-Being Amid Today’s Stressors
BY Wanly Chen February 13, 2024With 81 at-home baseball games a season, Atlanta Braves’ executive vice president DeRetta Rhodes knew her employees would need to catch a break during their shifts.Introducing the wellness room: a room that mirrors a living room, equipped with a sofa, TV, and refrigerator for anybody who simply needs time to rest. “It’s about creating space for individuals who need to be able to take care of themselves,” Rhodes said. “In the wellness room, people have the opportunity to go and take a relaxing break if they need to.”In a recent survey, 77% of employers saw an increase in mental health concerns, with 16% anticipating an increase in the future, indicating that health and wellness will continue to be a pressing issue for employers and employees in 2024.Rhodes’ approach is one of many other health and wellness strategies employers are taking to meet their employee’s needs. At From Day One’s Atlanta conference, leaders joined moderator Kelly Yamanouchi, business reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to discuss their health and wellness focal points for the new year.Changing Traditional Financial ProcessesWhether it’s due to the rising cost of living, inflation or the flexibility of remote work, more workers are working two jobs than ever before. Eight million Americans reported working more than two jobs this past January alone. For workers who take on a second job to make ends meet, timely pay matters, says Jon Lowe, chief people officer of financial services company DailyPay.“Today, the number of people who have more than one job is quite high and that creates a very high degree of stress. If you were a bartender around Christmas, you probably made a killing. But come January, when you’re working your part-time job and bartending on the side, there’s this degree of very high variance that we start to see,” Lowe said.With more than 60% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, employers need to rethink the two-week pay cycle, Lowe said.“When we look at this idea of earning wage access, we need to be disrupting this idea that two weeks is the right cadence to be paid,” Lowe said. “Today, we’re able to offer access to tools that technology allows us to do, where it recognizes the evolution of what work looks like and allows that degree of flexibility to be able to go and tap into resources that otherwise would not be available.”Building Wellness into the CultureFor Kimberly Rath, vice president of home builder company PulteGroup, wellness programs play a key role in building a healthy foundation for a company.The full panel of speakers from left to right: Steven Lester of Mayo Clinic, Josh Crafford of Synchrony, DeRetta Rhodes of the Atlanta Braves, Kimberly Rath of PulteGroup, moderator Kelly Yamanouchi of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Jon Lowe of DailyPay (photo by Dustin Chambers for From Day One)“At PulteGroup, we build homes. If you think about how wellness comes to life for you, a lot of what you do or how you take care of your well-being is done in your home,” Rath said. “At work, it’s similar. Wellness is the health of an organization and how people show up for work. If we’re strategizing how we take care of our employees and build great places where people work, we're going to get so much more from our employees.”From higher retention to increased productivity, employers can yield the benefits of happier and healthier employees. At healthcare clinic Mayo Clinic, professor of medicine and cardiologist, Steven Lester, M.D., discusses how supporting employees both in and off work can strengthen the overall performance of businesses.“As an organization, we are optimizing our business performance by incorporating well-being into the design of work,” Lester said. “We have programs supporting the financial, physical and mental well-being of our employees at work and we are also thinking about how we identify and allow people to have purpose, meaning and belonging at work.”Leading With EmpathyAn overwhelming 90% of U.S. employees believe empathetic leadership leads to higher job satisfaction, underlining the strong value employees place on leaders who lead with purpose and care.One part of empathetic leadership is active listening which helps in engaging with employees, Lester said. “We want to be actively listening to the needs of individuals and give them that safe, comfortable opportunity to engage and be heard, and know that the organization is here to support them and their well-being,” Lester said.With the emphasis on supporting employees, leaders will need to shift their priorities, Josh Crafford, vice president of technology learning and development, of financial services company Synchrony, said.“We're teaching leaders to be coaches and mentors and not care as much about the numbers,” Crafford said. “The numbers will come but the happier, safer and the more secure and connected your workers feel, the more productive they will be.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Evolving Workforce Expectations: Key Areas for Leaders to Focus on in 2024
BY Wanly Chen January 05, 2024With the start of the new year, leaders are reflecting on a past year dominated by conversations about return-to-office and AI. Businesses also faced challenges like appealing to a new generation of workers and including diversity and inclusion practices, all while trying to meet their bottom line.Where did they succeed? What could they improve on in 2024? These are the types of questions leaders discussed at From Day One’s December virtual conference, in a panel conversation moderated by Steve Koepp, From Day One’s chief content officer. The leaders shared what they learning in 2023 and what they’ve planned for 2024. Among the highlights:Out With the Old, in With New ApproachesWith a mixture of vague expectations and a lack of appealing reasons for returning to traditional office hours, the transition has been a challenge for leaders to tackle since the end of the pandemic. However, 90% of companies express a plan to create a formal return-to-office policy by the end of 2024, suggesting that RTO conversations will still be a dominant theme in the new year.Leadership’s approach to this conversation needs to be different, said Khalil Smith, VP of inclusion, diversity, and engagement at Akamai Technologies. To get employees’ buy-in, leaders need to set their expectations clearly from the beginning and show the value proposition of well-spent office time.“Ambiguity creates a lot of tension and a lot of frustration for folks. We need to think about things like how do we stay connected and continue to invest in our culture?” Smith said. “Every organization needs to choose the right path for themselves but they need to be incredibly articulate, unapologetic, and unambiguous about what they're doing and why.”Setting clear expectations is only one part of the equation, said Paul Rubenstein, chief customer officer at software company Visier. Leaders need to model those behaviors for employees to follow as well to get their full support.“There’s nothing worse than coming to the office to find no one else there. The value proposition of coming to that space has to be there and leaders have to be there,” Rubenstein said. “People follow leadership behaviors so if they see dissonance in what they say everyone should do and what leaders actually do, you’re done.”Creating Better Pathways to LeadershipMore women have moved into high-ranking executive jobs over the past few years. McKinsey’s 2023 Women in the Workplace report showed a positive growth of women in C-suite positions from 17% to 28% since 2015. But while overall women’s representation increased, women of color continue to be underrepresented in leadership roles.This can be an alarming issue for Generation Z, who are set to be the most diverse workforce, said Giselle Battley, global head of early career talent at real-estate company JLL.“If Gen Z is looking up and not seeing themselves in their immediate leadership, that’s an issue,” Battley said. “Leaders need to understand the landscape and know they are on the front lines driving the culture and the success, especially for those underrepresented members of your team.”To support employees from underrepresented demographics, leaders, especially middle managers, need to provide their teams with the proper tools, Battley said.“I can’t tell you how many times people get promoted and they’re never trained formally on DEI and they’re not given the tools to be effective,” Battley said. “Companies need to give them the tools to have that awareness to understand they are leading the charge to create this culture and change.”The full panel of speakers included, top row from left: moderator Steve Koepp of From Day One, Paul Rubenstein of Visier, and Mekayla Castro of Praxis Labs. Bottom row: Khalil Smith of Akamai, Kenya Jacobs Davis of Trane Technologies, and Giselle Battley of JLL (photo by From Day One)From championing their employees to providing mentorship and support, leaders are instrumental in supporting employees’ development into leadership roles. Kenya Jacobs Davis, HR leader of manufacturing company Trane Technologies, explained how providing key opportunities to employees not only demonstrates trust but can be pivotal in their overall growth.“One of the most powerful things that I’ve had happen over the last couple of years is not having someone speak for me, but sending me in their place,” Davis said. “Let’s not just talk about trust in terms of ‘I trust this person on my team, I know they’re capable,’ but demonstrating that trust by saying ‘You go instead of me.’ So when we talk about trust, it’s really important that you also model it when you have that opportunity.”Building Up Employees for Success, Individually and CollectivelyAccording to a Glassdoor poll, 76% of employees said they value a diverse workforce, and inclusive leadership leads the forefront of encouraging DEI in the workplace.To do so, leaders need to nurture a strong one-on-one relationship with their employees to understand them, said Mekayla Castro, head of curriculum at immersive learning and development company Praxis Labs.“To celebrate someone for their uniqueness, leaders need to have a strong one-to-one relationship with them.” Castro said. “Managers need to reflect on that dynamic they have with individuals and commit to understanding needs, motivations, expectations and goals that people have so they can then support them more equitably and inclusively,”From there, leaders need to cultivate a sense of belonging with employees as well. Castro said engaging employees in team-building activities and exercises can help build interpersonal connectedness at a team level and increase overall employee engagement.“Employees want to feel like they are part of a larger group,” Castro said. “Establishing a team identity or shared mental models can be helpful to build that high-quality connection at the team level.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
How All Managers Can Become Leaders in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
BY Wanly Chen December 13, 2023During her time at Uber, Siran Cao knew she had a problem in her workplace when one of her employees had turned down a promotion twice.The reason, Cao discovered, was the employee’s need to access government childcare benefits, a commonality that a few other workers shared.“I can’t tell you the number of conversations I had with employees who turned down a promotion because they would lose access to government childcare benefits. Some of those same people take out loans in the summer because they couldn’t access subsidized summer care,” Cao said. “That's not an equitable workplace.”Now as co-founder and CEO of Mirza, a comprehensive child care solutions software, Cao takes her experiences from previous companies to help build a more equitable workforce for other companies. In From Day One’s Miami conference, Cao and industry leaders sat in conversation with moderator, Paul Bomberger, veteran South Florida business editor, to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies in their workplace.Lean into Cultural ConversationsThe murder of George Floyd caused an outcry for cultural change within America, and as senior vice president of human resources of Telemundo Enterprises & Latin America at NBCUniversal, Ashaki Rucker knew it was a conversation her leaders needed to tap into.“People had a lot of emotion, frustration, and questions that they wanted the organization to address from George Floyd’s murder. Our company wanted to ensure that we facilitated a collective and consistent message about how we were viewing DEI and also give people the tools to have effective conversations on topics that are sensitive,” Rucker said.The panelists discussed “How All Managers Can Become Leaders in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” in Miami.In a continuous learning series called “Meet the Moment,” Rucker says that tapping into difficult cultural conversations can help leaders grow while meeting the needs of the employees.“Our Meet the Moment sessions are meant to create space for employees to have ongoing conversations about topics that are timely and relevant for the moment,” Rucker said. “The most recent session was about the war in the Middle East. We leaned in heavily to focus on mental health, and provide our employees tools to ensure that they’re taking care of themselves.”Measure for Success, Not Just QuantityFollowing Floyd’s murder, there was a 55% increase in DEI roles. But a recent study showed DEI roles being cut at a higher rate than non-DEI roles, hinting at receding momentum.From increased employee performance to higher revenue, DEI can offer a strong business value to companies. However, for DEI initiatives to be successful, leaders need to implement an effective strategy that challenges existing work culture, says Stefano Boero, senior vice president of people and culture at technology company, Amadeus IT Group.“We cannot deny the correlation between diversity and business performance, but some people think that just by increasing the number of diverse employees, the performance or the business is flourishing,” Boero said. “It’s not like that. It takes years and it takes a change in the values or changing the identity of the company.”Engaging LeadershipIn a study by Harvard Business Review, researchers found 97% of HR leaders said their organizations have made changes that improved DEI. However, only 37% of employees agreed that their workplace has made changes to improve DEI.The stark difference emphasizes not only the importance of leadership buy-in but also the need for a stronger execution of DEI initiatives. To do so, leaders from all levels need to be tapped in, says Zoe Hernandez Wolfe, vice president of talent management and development of healthcare company, Baptist Health.“At Baptist Health, we want all of our leaders to embrace DEI and we do that by engaging our senior executives from the very top,” Wolfe said. “We found ways to bring in the entire leadership team to embrace DEI, in whatever area they might be passionate about. So if they’re passionate about LGBTQ+ rights or about employees with disabilities, they can hire or mentor those folks.”While 71% of DEI leaders do believe that leadership is involved in endorsing and advancing DEI initiatives, only 13% of the respondents believe that executive leaders are proactive and visible in those initiatives.DEI needs to be embedded into the culture and work of leadership to gain greater support, Diane Psaras, executive vice president and chief human resource officer of VITAS Healthcare, said. Psaras highlights the success of a key DEI initiative in her company that leaders participate in.“We have a dedicated professional as a leader whose efforts are at the forefront of our community engagement within our communities of color, and supporting minority health care professionals as they continue to learn and develop,” Psaras said. “Our leaders go to these engagements to educate and empower those folk and those types of efforts have strengthened our communities, and in turn, our leaders. They’re right in the thick of it, learning firsthand the importance of DEI.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
From DEI to EDI, How Companies Can Rethink Diversity Strategies
BY Wanly Chen December 07, 2023For Heather Caruso, Ph.D., associate dean of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, the acronym for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) didn’t quite fit the bill. “We are very intentional about saying EDI at Anderson because it’s meant to be a reflection of how these things build up on one another,” Caruso said.“I start with equity because what we’re trying to do is address the fact that the world has, for most of its history, not been particularly welcoming of different perspectives. To get diversity, we have to acknowledge that there are going to be some inequities in people’s paths in our school.”At From Day One’s Los Angeles conference, Caruso sat with journalist Margot Roosevelt for a fireside chat, delving into the challenges and benefits of addressing diversity in educational and corporate settings, and how leaders can strategize for a more inclusive environment for all identities.Balancing CensorshipIn a study on self-censorship, researchers found only 16% of Americans were comfortable talking about politics with anybody. In contrast, 77% of Americans said they actively self-censor around certain people.In an increasingly divided country, companies and universities are being put in the spotlight on their choice to respond to political and social issues. The decision, in either case, would be a difficult one to make, Caruso says.“Wrestling with that frustration about the existence of different narratives is at the core of what EDI and DEI professionals have to help their organizations confront, because it’s a key barrier to achieving a thriving diverse community,” Caruso said. “If there’s some domain where we can’t tolerate the existence of different points of view, then that’s potentially a boundary on our commitment to welcome diversity.”Heather Caruso, Ph.D., (left) was the featured speaker, interviewed by journalist Margot Roosevelt (right).Censorship and free speech remain a delicate balance for U.S. college campuses as well. A recent study found students view free speech as important, yet feel unsafe to express their opinions because of fear of judgment or reprimand from their peers and campus.There is no right answer to this issue, Caruso says. “It’s a gamble either way, but I think organizations benefit from at least being intentional about the bet they’re making. We’re betting that some boundaries are necessary or we’re betting that we can create and innovate in this space and find a way to handle it,” Caruso said.By making intentional choices to engage or change work cultures, leaders can help foster a safer environment for their communities to participate in. Keeping an open mind and willingness to learn all play key roles in developing change, Caruso said.“Learn as much as you can as you go. If we encourage that kind of experimentation and learning as much as possible, then we will at least be able to update and refine and improve our efforts more quickly,” Caruso said.Work From the Bottom Up, Instead of Top DownRecent studies show that a diverse workforce has a strong business value, with diverse companies earning 2.5x higher cash flow per employee than less-diverse companies. However, leaders need to think beyond just the business value when approaching EDI strategies.“Top-down initiatives are largely the initiatives where some leader or organization comes out with a proclamation that diversity is the right thing to do because of the business value,” Caruso said. “My problem is that when the business value is centered around getting people to engage with diversity in a certain way, then it tends to focus people on a transactional thing.”Caruso suggests companies focus on bottom-up approaches that look to the root of diversity issues instead of looking for and hiring employees that fit diversity needs.“Try to figure out what you need and try to solve that problem with the people that are right there in the company. Why is it that we’re not seeing a certain race or ethnicity in the organization? Is there something that systematically excludes them from the process?” Caruso said. “I want to see employers give people more room to pick and choose where they want to be and how they want to show up.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Looking Ahead: Integrating Weight Loss and Diabetes Medications for a Healthier Workforce
BY Wanly Chen December 06, 2023With the recent increase in demands for new drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, 43% of employers are now considering covering GLP-1s next year, nearly double today’s number. Since its first FDA approval in 2005, GLP-1s have proven effective for health conditions like obesity and diabetes.However, with a steep price tag and concerns about misusage, leaders may find adding GLP-1s to their benefits offerings to be challenging. In a recent From Day One webinar, physicians from Accolade joined moderator Katie Miller Blakemore, senior manager of events at Accolade, to discuss the trends around GLP-1s.Understanding Cost BenefitsOn average, medication like Ozempic can cost more than $1,000 per month, a deterrent for some leaders considering proving it in their benefits. However, there may be greater healthcare costs if employers choose not to offer these drugs, says James Wantuck, MD, associate chief medical officer at Accolade and co-founder of Plush.“There are two sides to this equation: the cost of the drugs and the cost of not using the drugs,” Wantuck said. “Employers need to consider the costs for not using the drugs which may include things like absence from work or inability to do as much at work.”Wantuck points to the cost of obesity as one example. Chronic diseases caused by obesity and excess weight cost 1.72 trillion dollars in the U.S. alone in 2016.With a direct effect on one’s cardiovascular system, GLP-1s can reduce the severity of these diseases by reducing the chances of heart failure and strokes. Having healthier employees is an invaluable asset to any company, Wantuck said. “It’s harder to dismiss and not cover a drug that prevents a heart attack,” Wantuck said. “The price decreases as employees get less sick.”In comparison to similar countries, GLP-1s cost five to ten times more in the U.S. and the prices are not expected to change anytime soon, says Connie Hwang, MD, Accolade’s chief medical officer.“The FDA approved GLP-1s almost two decades ago, and yet there are no generic competitors in this class of drugs,” Hwang said. “The patents and regulatory exclusivity granted show a median of 18.3 years of market protection and so putting this into perspective, the earliest date for a possible generic Ozempic is guaranteed for December 2031. Employers need a GLP-1s strategy now as there is likely no pricing relief in sight.”Dr. Connie Hwang, chief medical officer at Accolade spoke with Dr. James Wantuck and Katie Miller Blakemore during the webinar (company photo)Giving Access to the Right PeopleNot everybody qualifies for GLP-1s but high costs and the spike in popularity of some drugs from mainstream media have caused employers to enforce restrictions and in some cases, outright bans.Qualifying for GLP-1s states individuals need to have a BMI greater than 30 along with medical problems such as hypertension, type two diabetes, or cardiovascular disease.“Some large employers have eliminated coverage for GLP-1s for the weight loss indication, and many have done so pointing to the greater than 200% total cost increases that they’ve been seeing,” Hwang said.Eliminating GLP-1 options negatively affects people who need the medications, bringing the strategy back to the need for employers to evaluate cost benefits. In a study of how members receiving GLP-1s meet the protocol criteria, researchers discovered that 94% of Accolade Care members did meet the criteria.Offering GLP-1s is only the beginning of the journey for employers, Wantuck says. Employers need to provide employees with resources to continue the momentum of their lifestyle change for a successful exit from these drugs.“You have to be open to a lifestyle change to change your habits, diet, and exercise routine to make these drugs the most effective that they can be,” Wantuck said. “These drugs facilitate this weight loss and allow people to reach the goals they’ve never been able to reach before, and I think that inspires them to change their habits.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Accolade, for sponsoring this webinar.Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Look Again: How to Find Top Talent Among Those Who Didn't Make the First Cut
BY Wanly Chen November 29, 2023Delphine Carter checked all the boxes. She had a robust background in product and sales development and thought she found an opportunity that she could be successful in.But like many, Carter’s nonlinear work history caused her resume to be initially rejected. “I applied but I didn’t get an interview. A friend of mine was friends with the hiring manager though, and said that I was a great cultural fit and they ended up hiring me.”Carter called herself a “trash can hire,” a term referring to a candidate whose resume was tossed out in the initial screening but rescued in the end. Now, as the CEO and founder of Boulo Solutions, Carter speaks about her business of helping employers break out of their traditional hiring processes to adopt a more open-minded approach. Carter spoke on the subject during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s November virtual conference.Avoid Looking at Titles and EducationTraditional hiring practices look primarily at linear work experience, with employers scanning resumes for key titles, education and company names. However, this method removes candidates with nontraditional resumes who may be prime candidates as well, Carter says.“Ask recruiters to ignore titles, industry and timelines and focus on what’s needed. Put these candidates in front of a panel that represents people from different areas of your organization,” Carter said. “This can help ensure a fair evaluation process and expand the type of questions that the candidate might receive.”At Boulo Solutions, clients are already embracing this change. For each candidate, Boulo Solutions creates a profile of their work experience and skills to present to employers.“We create a 360-degree profile of our candidates with the information that shows off their capabilities in a nonlinear fashion, to eliminate the bias that’s caused by hyper-focusing on titles, timelines and industry,” Carter said. “This helps the candidate stand out because it calls out hard and soft skills that they’ve gained through job and life experiences. Our customers feel like they’ve had a mini interview, and it makes it easier to compare the hard and soft skills of one candidate with another.”Grow Your Referral PipelineDelphine Carter, founder and CEO of Boulo Solutions, led the thought leadership spotlight (company photo)82% of employers rated referrals as their top source for yielding the best return on investment, showing referrals from employees can be a reliable source for employers to get top candidates.“Referrals come from people within your organization or a personal network, who are familiar with both the candidate and your company’s culture. As hiring managers, you can elevate this element of trust and credibility to identify candidates who are more likely to align with your company’s values and expectations,” Carter said.For employers, 45% of referral hires stay longer than four years, compared to only 25% of job board hires, and can cost less to hire than other hiring sources. Having a referral pipeline from employees and industry peers can diversify the hiring pool and help employers look at candidates beyond just the ones that come from the job board, Carter says.“Grow a referral pipeline from industry peers or companies with cultures similar to yours,” Carter said. “This method leverages personal and professional connections to find individuals who possess qualities that are essential beyond what’s written on their resumes and can contribute to a more robust and culturally aligned workforce.”Break Out of TraditionAs a former “trash-can hire,” Carter isn’t afraid to go dumpster diving. “The best reason for dumpster diving is that these candidates are in the dumpster because they applied and they found your company and that job interesting,” Carter said.Looking at rejected resumes with a different mindset can help change traditional hiring practices and give top candidates a second chance. When evaluating these resumes, employers should look for the value proposition that the candidate can add to the company.“Some exceptional candidates may not have the most conventional resumes but there’s a chance of uncovering those diamonds in the rough who may not have typical paper qualifications but possess the skills and potential your organization needs,” Carter said. “Look for the diverse perspectives and backgrounds that are missing from your team and find how they could add value.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Boulo Solutions, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
How HR Leaders Can Use People Data to Increase Their Strategic Influence
BY Wanly Chen November 17, 2023Recently, Intermountain Healthcare had a 36% growth projection, and as vice president of human strategy and delivery, Jim Ritchey needed to make sure there were enough physicians in his work field to support that growth.To begin, Ritchey looked at his data. “Once I understand the turnover, the growth, the data of where I am today, then I want to understand at the operational level my risk. So I sent out a basic questionnaire to my operators to assess turnover at high, moderate, or low risk and see how many people that was going to generate.”Looking at data not only helped Ritchey to understand the task properly but also helped him to effectively strategize. “We looked at the benchmark from our perspective of how many recruiters it takes to hire a number of physicians and the benchmark data tells us how many recruiters we need.”From analyzing employees’ sentiments to predicting turnover, people analytics can be a powerful tool for human resource leaders to yield to their advantage. During From Day One’s Denver conference, Ritchey and other leaders sat down with Matt Bloom, a reporter at Colorado Public Radio, to talk about the importance of people analytics and strategies leaders can lean on.Start with the BusinessWith over 3,000 metrics, people analytics software company Visier has a lot of data to offer leaders. As principal of research and value, Andrea Derler advises leaders to look at the data that matters most to the business.“Start from the biggest business needs and see what the business needs to answer. Some metrics that everybody should have on hand all the time are talent movement, volunteer turnover, involuntary turnover, resignation rates, and retirement rates,” Derler said.Understanding these core metrics is key to building other initiatives and priorities for a company, Derler says. “You may be interested strategically in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and if that’s a big topic for your organization, you need data on representation of demographics and gender, as well as pay equity and compensation for those groups.”Lead with a StoryWhen analyzing data, leaders should look for the story they want to tell. Vice president of business partnerships, diversity, and talent acquisition at building materials company Summit Materials, Monet Hires advises leaders to look beyond the raw metrics and look for the problems and solutions they may hint at.“Stories are made up of multiple components. People might look at turnover statistics or just an engagement number, but in isolation, it’s not as impactful. You have to build all those components together,” Hires said. “What is our engagement? What is our turnover? How does that compare and contrast to onboarding or exit surveys to inform our ultimate stories?”Looking at data for the story has not only helped Hires understand how her employees feel, but also see the differences in sentiment that arise with different employee populations. “We dug a little deeper and had intentional focus groups with certain segments of the population to get better insights as to what people are feeling and getting in terms of feedback,” Hires said.The full panel of speakers from left to right included moderator Matt Bloom, Kristian Gaetano of Achievers, Andrea Osborne of Genesys, Monet Hires of Summit Materials, Andrea Derler of Visier, and Jim Ritchey of Intermountain Healthcare.When processing and understanding large data sets, leaders may get overwhelmed by where to begin their stories. In cases like this, AI can be a significant help, Andrea Osborne, vice president of people, product research and development at software company Genesys, said.“AI can do some of the legwork for you if you have the right tool and the right trusted source of data. This lets you focus on providing the business insight versus crunching stuff in a spreadsheet or trying to connect data from finance to HR manually,” Osborne said.Osborne isn’t alone in adapting AI in her work; in fact, 81% of human resources leaders have explored or implemented AI solutions to improve efficiencies in their companies. “AI can automate some of those processes and bring your data together. You can then provide the story and help the business to decide what to do with it,” Osborne said.Listen to the Data, Then ActAs chief operating officer of employee engagement company Achievers, Kristian Gaetano does a lot of listening in his role. Listening, Gaetano says, can give valuable insight into employees’ overall sentiment toward a business.“We have a weekly check-in tool that pops up on Monday mornings for each of our employees and asks them, ‘How are you feeling about work today?’ They can respond with things about their compensation, manager, or something that happened in their personal life,” Gaetano said.The data can give leaders a snapshot of how employees are feeling from different time frames and how different news and actions can affect employees. “For example, if I speak at a town hall and the intentions are good and my message is to certain groups, employees might interpret that as me saying, ‘We’re closing an office.’ The next day, you can see in the data that the scores are lower and comments like, ‘I'm fearful about this new office.’”Actively listening to employees can allow leaders to act quickly to resolve any concerns before they escalate. “That ability to have this always-on listening is the most powerful to us,” Gaetano said.“If it is something that comes out across the organization and there’s quite a response, we will reconvene as a leadership team and try to understand what’s at the root of it, and then we’ll re-communicate it in a better way.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Supporting the Well-Being of Neurodiverse Employees
BY Wanly Chen November 16, 2023For neurodiverse adults, finding employment can be difficult. Unemployment runs at least as high as 30-40%, three times higher than that for people with disabilities and eight times higher than the rate for those without disabilities.The statistic is staggering and can stem from stigma and unfavorable work conditions, says Louis Chesney, neurodiversity program manager at behavioral and mental health platform, RethinkCare.“There’s this issue about the declining workforce, but there’s also an untapped reservoir of talent. So people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, are being edged out of the workforce because of this idea of engagement, which is disproportionately impacting neurodivergent individuals,” Chesney said. “The same people that can fill a huge gap in the talent pipeline are also not being supported in the workplace due to stigma, lack of compliance reduction and retention, inappropriate assessments and performance misalignment.”In a recent From Day One webinar, Chesney joined moderator and journalist, Kelly Bourdet, to discuss neurodiversity and how leaders and fellow employees can work to make an inclusive workplace for all.Neurodiverse adults can display special skills in pattern recognition, memory or mathematics, which can correlate to key skills in the workplace and higher productivity. These skills from neurodivergent employees can positively impact a company, says Chesney.“A lot of companies are seeing the tangible benefits of enhanced productivity, improved retention rates, and a more skilled workforce from some of the current neurodiversity hire programs,” Chesney said. However, companies are struggling to implement fair practices and an inclusive work environment before neurodivergent candidates even join their teams.Louis Chesney of RethinkCare was interviewed by journalist Kelly Bourdet during From Day One's recent webinar on supporting the well-being of neurodiverse employees (photo by From Day One)“When we think about our screening processes, we may not consider that people are unable to answer open-ended questions effectively because they may not pick up on the nuanced meaning of what is really asked,” Chesney said. “Then there’s a relevant assessment where social communication or social interaction isn’t a deal breaker. For example, a data analyst person has excellent analytical capabilities, but is maybe a bit more introverted and does not exude overzealousness or enthusiasm in an interview.”With pressure to be conversational and extroverted during an interview, neurodivergent candidates may feel like they are at a disadvantage. Researchers in the UK found 88% of neurodivergent candidates felt discouraged from applying for a job and 52% of those studied felt discriminated against by the hiring process.By changing hiring practices to be more inclusive, neurodiverse candidates can have a more equitable chance as prospective candidates. Research suggests that accommodations such as sharing interview questions early or allowing for a virtual interview can help ease anxiety for neurodivergent candidates.In a survey on workplace inclusivity, 64% of neurodivergent respondents believe their organization could be doing more to support neurodiversity in the workplace.To start, leaders need to understand certain workplace communications and structures may impact a neurodivergent employee differently. Chesney points to meeting spaces, team activities and communication methods as a few examples of things that may need to be adjusted for neurodivergent employees.Special accommodations, however, should not be seen as special privileges, Chesney said. Having this distinction made in the workplace can help ease neurodivergent employee stressors in asking for help.“Other team members need to understand these accommodations are about equity,” Chesney said. “These accommodations are giving everyone an accurate, equitable chance to showcase their abilities when they’re given the tools and the training they need to do their job effectively.”From having a safe space to ask for help and being accommodated, fellow leaders and co-workers need to create a space to listen and learn about their neurodiverse employees. Chesney points to Rethink’s specialized training that offers courses and audio sessions for employees to learn more about neurodiversity, but also emphasizes the importance of actively listening and engaging with neurodiverse community members.“Engaging with diversity, equity, inclusion and talking to the people who are within the community can increase people’s empathy and understanding,” Chesney said. “Listen to employees and people within the community who are vocal and talk about issues around neurodivergence. Even if what they’re saying doesn’t align with your worldview, listening actively helps.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, RethinkCare, for sponsoring this webinar. Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
Transforming Organizations: Leadership’s Role in Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
BY Wanly Chen November 09, 2023In the past year, the corporate landscape faced a whirlwind of obstacles in its journey toward diversity, equity, and inclusion. From political pushback, corporate austerity, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in higher education, DEI work has been no small task. All these headwinds have prompted some corporate leaders to wonder: should we still be pushing energetically for DEI in the workplace?The answer, simply put, is yes, says Katie Mooney, managing director at Seramount.“There’s enough breaking news right now about DEI having rollbacks and people questioning diversity and inclusion,” Mooney said. “But what isn’t in the headlines is that DEI is very strong right now because there are accountability measures in place, identification campaigns, and ways in which we’re driving this business.”As a company that provides employee-focused DEI and talent solutions, Seramount has the data to prove it. In its 2022 Inclusion Index Organizations report, researchers discovered 89% of companies provide anti-racism training compared with 73% in 2021. Additionally, 90% of companies have percentage goals for diverse representation and 67% of companies compensate for DEI results compared to 57% in 2021.The data shows that companies set more goals and initiatives for DEI than in previous years, supporting an increase in DEI participation. This DEI momentum comes from the value of the true employee experience, Mooney says. “As practitioners, we have to be focused on why DEI is good for all employees. In these volatile times, we have to center inclusion so that all of us have a great place to work.”During From Day One’s live conference in Philadelphia, Mooney and other leaders joined moderator Juliana Feliciano Reyes, a reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer, in a discussion on DEI’s role in the workplace and why it remains vital to a company’s success.The Value of DEI for Employees and CompaniesCompanies benefit from DEI initiatives in many ways. In a study by LinkedIn, researchers found diverse companies earn 2.5x higher cash flow per employee in comparison to non-diverse companies. Companies that focus on diversity also have employees that are statistically more productive, and have higher retention rates.The benefits for both companies and employees are apparent, and companies need to lean into the DEI conversation willingly, David Rhoden, vice president of culture and inclusion at insurance company Chubb, said. He points to recent market research on DEI trends as a source for understanding employees.“McKinsey came out with the Women in the Workplace report and it had a huge focus on the experience of Black women. When that report came out, we began to hear from the Black women in our organization. They wanted to tell us about their experience,” Rhoden said. “So we leaned in to talk about this here at Chubb and we did some listening, surveying, and then we developed the Black Women of Chubb Collective.”The panelists spoke about “Leadership’s Role in Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” at From Day One's Philadelphia event.Creating a safe environment for employees to discuss DEI concerns and issues can also positively impact other conversations in the workplace. These employees may feel more empowered to voice their opinions on business procedures or projects, which contribute to companies making better decisions.“Tying DEI to the business is something that even the biggest naysayers can’t argue. If you have psychologically safe teams that are not afraid to speak out, then they can pinpoint when a procedure isn’t working, or a product isn’t ready to roll out,” Jennifer Brunelle, vice president of talent acquisition of development and diversity at energy company NRG, said. “So if it's not working because of someone’s ability status, for example, we’re missing potential customers.”Getting Over the Fear of Talking About DiversityTalking about diversity may be challenging and uncomfortable for leaders who may not know how to approach the conversation. However, leaders need to lean into that discomfort instead of avoiding it, Kristie Small, vice president of diversity and inclusion at supply chain and logistics solution company NFI, said.“When we talk about why leaders aren’t engaging, more often than not, it’s because they’re afraid of making a mistake,” Small said. “As HR and DEI professionals, we have to give people the grace to try and potentially fail at it and to try again.”Sponsoring ERG groups or supporting DEI initiatives can be a starting place for leaders to get involved in these conversations. From there, leaders need to be visibly involved in leading the charge, Dana Kirwin, director of employer and government relations at Medela, says. As a company that produces breast pumps, products, and support, Kirwin discusses how supporting employees who are parents requires leaders to act on their support as well.“Executive buy-in is so important. If they aren’t bought in, if they don't believe it, if they’re not talking about it, and if they’re not acting on it in their work, it’s so hard for DEI to succeed,” Kirwin said. “For example, if your company offers parental leave, that’s amazing but do the executives take it? You need your leadership team to signal that these things are okay because what you show your workforce matters.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.
How Talent Leaders Are Adapting to a Changing Market
BY Wanly Chen November 07, 2023In a post-pandemic workplace, the task of attracting and retaining talent is far from easy. With new challenges and tools, leaders are actively listening and adapting to both external and internal factors to provide employees with the work environment they need.During From Day One’s Manhattan conference, moderator Lydia Dishman, senior editor of growth and engagement at Fast Company, led a conversation with leaders on strategies for attracting and retaining talent in a changing market.Keeping an Active Pulse on Cultural ConversationsRecent social movements sparked a conversation for companies to recognize their stance on political and societal issues. Taking a stance was important not only to consumers, but to their employees as well.Navigating these conversations properly was a large feat for HR leaders, says Ramcess Jean-Louis, global chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Pfizer. “From a diversity equity inclusion perspective, we were heroes because we were helping our organizations and companies navigate a very complicated situation. From a social standpoint and corporate standpoint, our colleagues and employees were holding us accountable for speaking up.”When companies recognize the need for DEI leaders to navigate the conversations, DEI leaders become an influential and important part of a company’s survival. “There was a period where DEI and HR professionals were pulled into some conversations that we weren’t traditionally pulled into, such as investor relations meetings and meetings with shareholders,” Jean-Louis said.Companies choosing to make a public stance on political issues haven’t been without its drawbacks, however, with boycotts occurring from both ends. Americans are divided on companies taking public stances on political and social issues, with 48% believing companies should and 52% believing companies shouldn’t take stances, showing that the decision hasn’t always been simple for companies to make.The panelists discussed the topic “Stepping Up Their Game: How Talent Leaders Are Adapting to a Changing Market” at the Manhattan conference. However, shifting views from the public is a part of continuous conversation for some political and social stances, and companies shouldn't stray away from them, according to Singleton Beato, global executive vice president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at McCann Worldgroup.“When it comes to how businesses are going to be able to generate revenue and be profitable, they tend to focus on what is crisis and critical. And then everything else [like DEI initiatives] tend to fade out of focus and are put on a shelf for a little while,” Beato said. “But what took ten years to a social uprising, then five years to a social uprising is now going to be more like 18 months. And so what will happen is those business leaders will say, “There is racism in America, we cannot believe this and we need to address it and need to do it now.” But they won't be able to say that in time for next time because the next time is coming in short order.”A study shows that 74% of Asian adults and 72% of Black adults believe businesses should take a public stance on political and social issues, showing the greater need for allyship from companies. To support a diverse workforce, companies may need to shoulder the responsibility of being involved in social conversations surrounding these issues, Beato said.“What we are seeing now is what we’ve seen many times throughout our lifetime. There are culture shifts and ebbs and flows to a lot of the issues that continue to plague us in this space, particularly as it pertains to equity in this country and as it pertains to people of color,” Beato said. “It expands from there to underrepresented groups all finding their voice in that moment to say so many of us are in this situation and we need to hold businesses and business leaders accountable.”Hiring Based on SkillsIn a recent analysis by LinkedIn, nearly 20% of job postings do not require a degree, showing a gradual increase in skill-based hiring from 15% in 2021.With different methods of education emerging from the pandemic, companies need to embrace how future employees are developing their skills. Sivona Blake, vice president of campus diversity recruitment and global talent acquisition & people insights at Citigroup, reflects on how they have embraced skill-based hiring in their practices.“A lot of times when we get into these roles, we’re re-learning everything anyway, so we’re not really using a lot of our degree to even do these roles,” Blake said. “At Citigroup, we meet early career workers who are not getting the traditional four-year degree and partner them with various organizations and expose them to work through that route. That has been how Citigroup has been deemphasizing the degree requirement, and I think it's a great opportunity to do so.”For foreign-born workers, skill-based hiring removes traditional barriers like college degrees and language, which can make a difference when seeking an opportunity. At Pfizer, Jean-Louis shares the impact of removing the four-year degree requirement.“We’ve taken out the four-year degree at our organization as well and that's helped us in so many different places. That's helped us with our military hiring because you want to approach that differently when you’re looking at bringing in these very senior leaders that will do an outstanding job within your organization,” Jean-Louis said. “It has also helped with our refugee leadership initiative. Some of the refugees that we had from Afghanistan don't even have proof of their credentials. Oftentimes, they come with the clothes on their back, and not even a suitcase. So again, we’re taking all of that into consideration.”Embracing Fractional EmploymentThe pandemic not only opened opportunities for remote and hybrid work but for fractional employment as well. Fractional employment allows companies to hire specialized or high-quality talent for a part of their workweek, a concept that can be a win for both parties, Michael Morris, CEO and co-founder of Torc believes.In developing an online network for remote developers, Morris shares how fractional employment can provide higher job satisfaction for employees and higher quality employees for companies.“I encourage a lot of my customers to start with 20 hours for a talent. They may not have the full-time need for them, but the quicker companies and organizations adopt this fractional, on-demand talent model, the better they’re going to be, and the happier the talent will be,” Morris said. “Talent can be picky. If they’re great at what they do, they should be choosing opportunities that utilize their skills and the industries they want to use them in. If you don’t use talent in the way they want to be used, they’re going to leave, and that's not good for anybody.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.